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Man seeks charges against stranger whom he says raped his daughter

The 18-year-old with the I.Q. of a 6-year-old awakens at night, screaming and crying.

The area teen is scared to attend her specialized school the next day.

She has nightmares. She's afraid the man she says raped her will find and attack her again.

Her father hears her cries, and two area police department chiefs say their officers are investigating the case. One of those departments has identified a "person of interest."'

But her father, Jerry Slagle of Willard, fears authorities won't pursue the charges. The alleged rapist is a former businessman with money, and they're "covering for him," Slagle contends.

Slagle, though, is not ignoring his mentally-challenged daughter's screams and cries.

By frigid day, for nearly a week, he has picketed outside the Willard Police Department's headquarters with a sign, expressing his belief that police and prosecutors are not taking his daughter's alleged attacker off the streets.

By even colder night, Slagle has paced the streets in front of the man's apartment. Slagle wants to ensure that the man won't hurt any other children -- and there are a lot of children in the apartment complex where the man who allegedly "took her security ... took her virginity" lives, Slagle said.

Altogether, Slagle estimated he spends 14 to 16 hours a day in front of the Willard Police Department and then at night keeps an eye out for the children in the man's building.

He only leaves when the suspect, whom the Reflector is not naming because he is not charged, turns out the lights and goes to sleep, about 10:30 or 11 p.m.

Slagle said his daughter doesn't know the man, who is in his 70s, but she's friendly and likes and trusts everybody.

So last Friday, Slagle said the man got the teenager's name from another student and followed her school bus to her house.

When she got off, he lured her to him, claiming he'd take her to his house, out to eat and to play games, Slagle said.

The victim's brother tried to stop the man's car after she got in, but it was too late.

Slagle said her daughter got scared at the stranger's home and texted her mother.

Police were called.

"They found my daughter's blood in his bed," Slagle said, adding authorities also found two used condoms in his apartment and blood on a towel.

"They're not charging the guy," Slagle said. "This guy's out on the street. They're covering for him."

"I think they're just sitting on (the case)," said the teen's grandfather, Gerald Slagle. "They put off everything until tomorrow.

"It's a shame. They just don't pick the guy up. I don't know why; this is his second offense."

"We have an ongoing investigation," Doan told the Reflector Thursday. "We don't want to see the guilty guy go free and we don't want to see an innocent guy get charged."

Doan was asked if there's a suspect.

"We certainly have a person of interest," Doan said, adding one could also use the word "suspect."

Doan was told about Slagle's picketing and claiming police are not doing their job in the case.

"That's his privilege to do," Doan said.

"I can tell you we are conducting an active investigation on the allegations," Holden said Thursday.

"BCI has been involved," Holden said, referring to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. "Despite some rumors and some people's criticism, the case is being actively investigated. To meet certain elements, there are certain things we have to do."

The Reflector was made aware of the allegations when four different people called the newsroom this week. Each caller reported similar allegations.

The first suspected incident was reported to the Plymouth Police Department on Jan. 31. Holden was asked why the complaint was filed in Plymouth and not Willard.

"The girl lives over there. I believe she's 18," said Holden, who declined to provide further details on the victim or the male suspect.

Police plan to present the case to Huron County Prosecutor Russell Leffler's office once the investigation is completed.

"Plymouth might be (pursuing) a charge or two on him, so we might combine the cases," Holden said.

A woman who was driving to Attica called the Reflector on Thursday and said she saw a man picketing about the case and suspect in front of Willard city hall.

At least one reader expressed her thoughts on the Reflector's Facebook page.

People have brought Jerry Slagle hot chocolate and motorists have honked their horn in support of him, he said.

"My daughter's got a hard enough life," her father said. He added he is protesting in front of Willard Police headquarters, which is next to city hall, to bring justice for his daughter.

He was asked how long he will continue standing in front of the police department/city hall during the day and patrolling the apartment complex where the man whom he believes raped his daughter lives.

Comments

God Bless you and your daughter. She is very lucky to have you as her Father. I will pray that she will be able to find peace and that her rapist will be brought to justice!!!!

ben castin

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 2:48am

Lead poisoning is a cheaper prosecution, and it insures that justice is served.

Everyone is fam...

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 7:09am

This "man" needs to live out the rest of his years in prison. Unspeakable to take advantage of anyone with mental disabilities. Disgusting.

hankster

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 10:00am

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Libel and defamation.

Dr. Information

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 10:35am

Nobody I know in willard has OJ Simpson type of money. Let the police do their job, there is a process to arrest someone alleged.

former local

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 11:53am

The Reflector named the school teacher before she was charged!!!!! Could it be an advertiser???

ferball14

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 11:56am

If this was my daughter, and I felt that strong about it, and honestly felt the suspect was a threat...I would do more than build a lowsy sign and walk the streets. Something doesn't add up....

hankster

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 12:43pm

You're right ferball,something doesn't add up.If you know this guy you know what does add up tho and that is a lawsuit is forth coming.
If in fact his daughter was raped and somebody is found guilty I will apologize but for now I'm looking at his track record and I'm guessing something is fishy.

believe it

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 2:12pm

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Personal attacks (including: name calling, presumption of guilt or guilt by association, insensitivity, or picking fights).

Dr. Information

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 2:40pm

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Personal attacks (including: name calling, presumption of guilt or guilt by association, insensitivity, or picking fights).

Delazia

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 7:10pm

Wow. So it sounds like you not only have a problem with this man exercising his rights in an attempt to get justice for his daughter but you also have a problem with his socioeconomic status. You also called several other families trash. Why would you get so upset about a man saying his daughter was raped? Are you the suspect? You even stalked his Facebook page? You're weird.

JMOP

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 8:10pm

I was thinking the same thing Delazia.

believe it

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 3:46pm

It's obvious by the amount of posts he makes on his Facebook, and the picketing, that he isn't doing much else in life. And like someone posted earlier, I know he has sued several of his former employers. The guy is no good and is nuts.

Dr. Information

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 5:21pm

However, it still doesn't take away from this event and that possibly something did happen, we all must remember that. FB is not the FB I remember. Sheeweeeeeee

Warped

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 5:34pm

This may sound crazy, but I was under the assumption that a person was innocent UNTIL PROVEN guilty. Six lawsuits? Really!?! I'm guessing that if the evidence comes back negative for the accused, there will be a lawsuit against the WPD because they swept this under the rug.

This guy is nuts.

KURTje

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 5:35pm

Moderators have removed this comment because it contained Personal attacks (including: name calling, presumption of guilt or guilt by association, insensitivity, or picking fights).

JMOP

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 5:47pm

I'd being going "nuts" too, if something like that happened to my daughter.

Because a guy has several lawsuits, you can't assume the suspect is innocent. Does anyone know the outcome of his prior lawsuits, or the nature of them? Could they be medical lawsuits stemming from medical neglect, mistreatment, misdiagnoses for his daughter? Just because there are many, doesn't mean they're frivolous.

Warped

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 6:00pm

JMOP, are You a moron? The LAW says people are innocent until PROVEN guilty! Therefore, until the evidence is in, he is INNOCENT! What does the nature of the lawsuits have to do with anything? Read some of the comments above before you say something stupid about lawsuits. He has sued employers .... people he worked for. Yeah I'm sure all his employers were trying to screw him ..... Hence the lawsuits.

JMOP

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 8:03pm

@Warped
Hearsay doesn't hold up in court. Can you post proof, or can others post proof about all the "alleged" lawsuits? Did I say the accused was guilty? No! That's why I called him the "suspect".
Call me what you like, but your ignorance clearly shows with your rude posts.

wowman

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 7:45pm

I feel for this young lady. I'm sorry but someone doesn't wake up in the middle of the night screaming for no reason. The nightmares from something like this are terrible. The focus shouldn't be on the father but the daughter. Ask yourself why was her blood in his bed, on a towel and 2 used condoms??? She has the IQ of a 6 year old, and he sounds like a sick person the should of knew better.. You can bet that she had no idea what was happening to her.. Let me tell you if that was the first time she was in pain. The red flags are there and I hope that Law enforcement does justice for her not her dad.. Besides what does the dads past have to do with him wasting to protect his daughter??????????????

KURTje

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 9:39pm

C-on Reflector staff writers. So you aren't from here yet you hate facts. Had lineage lived here a century or so, you'd know. (It was you who put the article out about Studer after I mentioned it too.)

Warped

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 10:32pm

Jmop, am I the only one that mentioned lawsuits? Believe me or don't, I could care less. Read some of the other posts ..... Are the other posters making it up too? What do you want, the docket numbers? Yeah right. Listen, you can't have it both ways. In your first post you say, and I quote ...... You can't assume the suspect is innocent ... End quote. We'll, if you can't assume he's innocent ..... He must be guilty. It's one way or the other. Lucky for the accused, the law says he is indeed innocent until he is proven guilty. If the evidence is there to prove him guilty, I'll be the first in line to say he should be put away for the rest of his natural days.

JMOP

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 11:58pm

If you quote, you need to quote the entire sentence which was "Because a guy has several lawsuits, you can't assume the suspect is innocent". Are you having a hard time defining the word "assume"? I was addressing the commentators, who were saying the dad was only in it for the money. You were "assuming" I was calling the alleged guilty.
Are you saying this did happen, and the dad is trying to cash in, or did you think he's making this up out of thin air, to get money? What are you "assuming"?

I don't care if you, or other posters are making it up, or that its the truth, and if there is truth to the lawsuits, I'm sure its a bit of a stretch. There are three sides to every story.

What is your comparative from my first post to my second? You only used my first post, so it's a bit confusing.

webflowerz1

Sat, 02/08/2014 - 11:22pm

again.. quit protecting bad guys.. police due your job

ultra

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 4:51am

I do believe the police our doing their job(maybe a little on the slow side). I also do believe the guy did what he is accused of doing. I personal have been on her side of the fence and I do know what she is feeling. I just wished I had a father/mother that stood up for me. I would not wish this on my worst enemy. This messes with the rest of your life and with her being a special need child only worst then it has messed with my mind. This is to close to home for me, this is home.

shicks

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 11:50am

What a lot of you people are missing ..is this is a child,that has cant stand up for herself!!! Her dad past has not one damn thing to do what happened to this child,someone has to stand up for her!!
What does a past lawsuit have to do with a lowlife raping his daughter? I don't live in that town, but have been there many times..i see how kids roam the streets there.......do u want this lowlife set free to do this to another child???????? Instead of being on here down talking this man for past lawsuits...all parents need to be up there picketing with him to make sure this doesn't happen again!!!!!!!

Dr. Information

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 1:18pm

After looking at his FB I wouldn't stand next to him. He basically called everyone in willard scum, told them all to F off and wished this would happen to other people of willard so he could laugh in their face. The man is going about this all wrong.

Yanni

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 3:59pm

He's not really gathering support, he's making himself look like a loon that's not very credible. If he wants to help his daughter he will go about it a different way. If he wants to gain personal attention, he's doing a bang up job.

so sick of stup...

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 8:48pm

I agree

wowman

Sun, 02/09/2014 - 1:52pm

He maybe going at it all wrong but maybe that's the way he thinks is right He is hurting for his daughter and maybe he feels like no one is on his or his daughters side. There are many RED FLAGS far as the older man.. Just because the girl is 18 doesn't mean that she knew what he was up to.. The fathers past should be just that in the past and has no bearing on this matter.. So what if he is name calling. Can you say you have never name called???? RAPE is not easy to deal with in any way and for her sake I hope that he is getting his daughter help for that..